Alfred landau



A. LANDAU,

RESERVE DRY CELL.

APPUCATION FILED JUNE 18. ms.

Patented bept. 1919.

IN l/EN TOR A TTORNEYS WITNESSES ALFRED LANDAU, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RESERVE DRY cm.

Specification of Letters Patent. 1

Application filed June 18, 1918. Serial No. 240,666.

To all whom it may or ncem:

Be it known hat I, A' nnn LANDAU a subject of the King of Great Britain, an a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, ir :he 0 .mty and State of New York, have wanted a new and Improved Reserve Dry Cell, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a dry cell of that. type that is manufactured and sold in a dry condition and the consumer supplies a charge of water thereto, whereby an electrolyte 1s formed whieh acts on the carbon and zinc to produce current when the cell is connected in an electric circuit.

Reserve cells of this type as heretofore constructed are provided with a hollow carbon electrode with apertures arranged at different levels, whereby the water can be supplied to the cell through this electrode and will distribute therefrom through the apertures to the mix to moisten the same and to act on the zinc cup or shell. A cell constructed in this manner is expensive to manufacture and is unsatisfactory, because quick and prompt action on the zinc electrode cannot be obtained nor thorough and uniform moistening of the mix nor the most efiicient electrolytic action.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the objections inherent in reserve cells of the character referred to by so constructing the cell that the water is supplied to the cup at a point outside the bibulous lining, and the water percolates inwardly through the lining and mix to the central carbon electrode, which insures quicker and more uniform action on electrodes, and maximum efiiciency is secured.

By adding the water directly to the bibulous lining the contact between the carbon electrode and the battery mix is not loosened, as is the case when water is poured into the cell through a hollow carbon electrode which tends to loosen the fine powder parts of the battery mix which rest around the carbon electrode.

To increase the uantity of water which the cell may absor b, the battery mix may contain small pieces of bibulous material which will absorb water to a greater extent than the battery mix and will act as a kind of reservoir to give out water to the battery mix as the battery becomes dry.

Another feature of the construction is that the cell when exhausted or nearly exhausted can be rejuvenated by pouring an electrolyte into the waterdistributing channels Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

which lie between the bibulous lining and the zinc cup, whereby the added electrolyte will act on the zinc to increase the life of} the cell.

The battery to work show prompt depolarization, which process consists in combining the hydrogen which settles on the carbon electrode with the oxygen liberated through the chemical action of the manganese dioxid and the ammonium chlorid. oughly wet, as in the case of that type where the water is charged through such electrode, there is too much hydrogen on the latter which will not combine in the right proportion with a small amount of liberated oxygen, and thus a surplus of hydrogen will be left at the carbon electrode which would retard complete, or nearly complete, depolarization. With the cell designed as successfully must If the carbon electrode is thorn herein disclosed this objection is entirely overcome.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one embodimentof the in vention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectio of the cell, the section being taken on the line 1-1, Fig. 2; h

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof with a por tion of the seal broken away;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line i 3-3, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one of the water distributing channels.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a zinc electrode in the formof a cup or shell, 2 a carbon electrode in the form of a solid rod, 3 the bibulous lining, 4 a chemical compound or mix, and 5 the seal. The foregoing are the elements of an ordnarv cell, and the invention resides particularly in the means for supplying the water to the mix.

Located in the cell between the shell 1 and lining 3 is a water-distributing means in the form of one or more channels 6 formed of metal or equivalent material and shaped in the form of a trough with the hollow side presented to the internal surface of the shell or cup 1. Each channel is of such length as to extend from the seal 5 to the bottom 7 of the cell, and in each channel are apertures 8 spaced at difierentlevels so that the water will be distributed more uniformly over the lining which bears against the convex side of the channel. The top of the channel is formed with a tubular inlet or neck 9 which passes-through the sealin compound 5, and in this neck is norma ly placed a stopper 10. By removing the stopper water can be supplied to the cell and is distributed by the channel so as to uniformly pass through the. bibiilous lining and through the mix to the central electrode.

The mix may be provided with small pieces 11 of bibulous material which, will absorb the water and hold the same so as to keep the mix moist for alonger time. If desired, oneor more shelves 12 may be employed at difiercnt points in the mix so as to assist in conducting. the water inwardly to the carbon electrode, but the use of shelves is not a necessary feature of the invention. 1

From theforcgoing description takenin connection with the accompanying drawing,

the. advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the. principle of operation, to

gether with the article which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the article shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A dry cell including a cup, a bibulous lining therein, a mix in the lining, an electrode in the mix, in combination with a channel member inserted between the cup and bibulous lining and having apertures at different levels to supply fluid to the mix through the lining.

being open at the top of the cell, andmeans,

for closing the upper ends of the distribut ing means.

4. A dry cell comprising a cup, a poreus lining therein, a mix in the lining, an elcctrode in themix, a seal in the top of the cup, and means cooperating with the cup to form vertical channels outside the lining fer supplying a porous liquid to and tl'irough the lining and to and through the mix.

Assess saunas. 

